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Bob McDonald did a superb job of preparing our ATHs and SMEs with this mission essential 
capability. It is noteworthy that our hospitals were the only assets to deploy with their 
own organic decon capability ready to employ.

Combat Stress Units [5]

Each ATH has an organic combat stress unit capability, manned by a social worker, 
psychologist, or psychiatrist (two officers), and two technicians. Our ATHs arrived in 
theater with this organized mental health service capability theater-wide while other 
components lagged behind. It is noteworthy that Air Force mental health officers were 
proactive with their beddown populations consulting to commanders and first sergeants on 
MWR concerns and activities, serving on combat support committees,

	~	and conducting stress management and theater adjustment seminars

to assist in retaining personnel in theater. Mental health
officers who were successful were those who used a
proactive/prevention model serving the Air Force, Army, Navy, and
Marine Corps where personnel performed their duty: on the
flightline, in the dining hall, during guard mount, and so on.
Some assisted Air Reserve Component (ARC) units in their adjustment
to active duty in a war zone. Some of our notable performers
providing this unprecedented combat stress service were Lieutenant
Colonels Bob Anderson and Dick Price and Majors Phil Colosimo, Jack
Smith, and Alice Tarpley.


	~	10

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